Oberweis takes on businessman Truax in Senate GOP primary

State Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, faces a political novice in the U.S. Senate Republican primary race.

Businessman Doug Truax, 43, of Downers Grove seeks votes in the March 18 primary against Oberweis, 67. Both men tout business experience and a desire to win the Senate seat in November and remove Sen. Dick Durbin from office.

During the 30-plus years Durbin, a Democrat, has held office in Washington, D.C., the U.S. national debt has risen from $1 trillion to $17 trillion, Oberweis said.

“I’m very concerned how that will affect future generations. I believe that type of runaway spending has to stop,” Oberweis said.

He also takes issue with the passage of the Affordable Care Act and wants to impose term limits.

Oberweis said his current role as state senator and his experience building companies, such as Oberweis Dairy, will make him the ideal choice to run against Durbin. Truax would be a great candidate for an Illinois state senate or representative seat instead of the U.S. Senate, Oberweis said Tuesday.

Truax said Oberweis told him the same thing when they met in October. Truax said with all due respect, he wasn’t going to take advice from the state senator.

“I think it’s incredibly condescending,” Truax said of Oberweis’ comment. “I think it’s basically advocating for me to become a professional [career] politician.”

Truax noted that Oberweis previously ran for the U.S. Senate and lost. He said Durbin’s defeat is going to require someone like himself, a new face to the political scene with new ideas.

Truax is president, managing partner and co-founder of Veritas Risk Services in Oak Brook. Since he announced his candidacy in the summer, he has gained endorsements from Republicans including Newt Gingrich and U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria.

Truax wants to see lower tax rates for businesses and consumers alike. He also wants to have every federal agency justify its federal regulations every five years. On health care, Truax wants people to have the option to buy health insurance across state lines in the hopes of fostering competitive prices.